Liam Lawson will make the step up to Red Bull for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The Kiwi driver will be promoted from Visa Cash App RB to the main Red Bull team next season as the replacement for Sergio Perez who confirmed his exit on Wednesday after four seasons with the team.
Lawson and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda were in contention for the second seat at the Milton Keynes-based outfit as they actively sought to find a way to part company with Perez after enduring his worst season with Red Bull in 2024.
In the end, it was the Kiwi driver who got the nod to partner four-time champion Max Verstappen in 2025. Christian Horner says Lawson demonstrated ‘the right mindset’ for Red Bull in a short space of time and was the key reason why Tsunoda was snubbed by the 22-year-old.
Red Bull’s signing of Lawson has been met with mixed emotions amongst the world of F1. Tiff Needell believes Tsunoda should have got the Red Bull seat due to his experience of being with RB since 2021 and outperformed Daniel Ricciardo this season before he was sacked after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Damon Hill expressed excitement about Lawson’s signing, calling it a ‘big break’ for the Kiwi driver as he finally gets his chance to race full-time in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Liam Lawson is not expecting to fight for a world championship with Red Bull ‘straight away’
Naturally, there will be a lot of pressure on Lawson when he joins Red Bull as he will be expected to fight at the front for podiums and race wins.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit will be keen to return to the top in 2025 after losing the Constructors’ Championship this season. Red Bull finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari, 77 points off the title.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
666 |
| 2 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
652 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
589 |
| 4 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
468 |
| 5 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
94 |
| 6 |
Alpine F1 Team |
65 |
| 7 |
Haas F1 Team |
58 |
| 8 |
Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team |
46 |
| 9 |
Williams F1 Team |
17 |
| 10 |
Sauber F1 Team |
4 |
Lawson is aiming to help Red Bull secure the constructors’ title next season, but he admitted that he is not expecting to be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship in his debut season.
“I mean, obviously as Formula 1 drivers, we all have one goal that we share and that’s winning a world championship,” he told the Talking Bull Podcast.
“That is my goal and that’s been my goal since I was a kid and wanted to be a Formula 1 driver and, obviously now I’m in a great position.
“It’s definitely not what I expect coming in. I don’t expect to come in and go straight away and win a world championship. I know that the team’s goal is the constructors’ and that’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to achieve that.
“But yeah, personally for me, it’s trying to be in a competitive position as quickly as possible.”
Who will replace Liam Lawson at RB next season?
With Lawson heading to Red Bull next season, it leaves a seat available at RB – the final seat left to fill for the 2025 campaign.
Tsunoda will race with RB in 2025 after signing a contract with the Faenza squad earlier in the year, marking his fifth season with the team.
READ MORE: All to know about Visa Cash App RB from team principal to Red Bull affiliation
Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar is set to be promoted to the second seat alongside Tsunoda. The Frenchman has had numerous F1 tests in recent months and it is looking likely that he will be handed a chance in F1.
RB had been interested in Franco Colapinto after the Argentine impressed in his early races with Williams. But after suffering several accidents in the final few races of the season, RB pulled out their interest in Colapinto as they believe he causes too many costly accidents to join the Red Bull setup.
